There
are many Cambodian students getting scholarships to study abroad in various
degrees: specialized training, college, exchange program, undergraduate,
master, and doctoral each year. Some apply via the internet, and others apply
through Department of Scholarship which facilitates any scholarships provided
through government. Each year, scholarship providing through Cambodian
government for undergraduate degree is the most popular one for Cambodian students
wishing to pursue their higher education abroad. Those countries are Thailand,
Vietnam, Laos, Japan, China, Cuba, Singapore, and so on. However, compared to
other countries, it’s clearly seen that a number of students obtaining a
scholarship to study in Singapore are very few. Singapore is very well-known
globally for her academic education, and all fields of education are of high
quality there. Last year there was only one Cambodian student who made his way
to get Singaporean Scholarship to pursue his undergraduate degree there. Lim
Vuthy, a 19-year-old student from Institute of Technology of Cambodia, is now
majoring in Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Nanyang Technological University
which is one of the best universities in Asia. Vuthy is very happy and eager to
share his experience via Youth Time Magazine by responding to some questions.
What
is Singaporean Government Scholarship?
Singaporean Government scholarship is a
scholarship provided by Singaporean government through Cambodian governments; however,
selection processes will be done by Singaporean universities and Singaporean
committees. This scholarship covers tuition fees, accommodation, and living
allowance: meal, textbook, study materials and so on. It is normally announced
by the Department of Scholarship in Cambodia around November or December. For
further information, one can go to this link.
What are the requirements to get this
scholarship?
A good command in English, of course,
is the first thing you should train yourself in order to get this scholarship.
After that, you have to be good at the subjects which are relevant to your
chosen major. For example, I applied for Civil Engineering major, so I had to
master on Mathematics and Physics to get it. Normally, there are three steps to
get this scholarship. In the first round, you have to pass the test, English
and Mathematics, which is designed by the Ministry of Education Youths and
Sport. Those selected from the first round have to sit an examination designed
and corrected by Singaporean university and committee. The subjects for
exam-taking vary according to what subjects you chose to apply for. If you
choose social major, you have to sit for English and Mathematics only. On the
other hand, if you choose science major, you have to sit for English,
Mathematics, and some related subjects: Physics, Chemistry and so on. Again and
again, the subjects for second round are according to what major you chose.
How do you prepare yourself to get it?
Well, there is nothing beside
“preparation”. You have to give yourself enough time to prepare for it. Try to
prepare yourself to be ready for what is required. Take it seriously, prepare
more, and you will be likely to succeed.
How do you deal with the second round –
a round which exam papers are designed and corrected by university from
Singapore?
From my own experience, working hard is
the best solution. I keep searching exercises for practices over the internet
and doing the research of the subjects I am supposed to take for the exam.
Moreover, crediting to my own background on the subjects, I am able to prepare
better. Besides, I also take this opportunity to thank my seniors and other
friends who lent me some good books on these subjects. Thus, building good
friendships with your seniors and friends will be a plus for
information-seeking and some necessary helps.
How do you convince the committee in
the interviewing round to give you this scholarship?
I admit that it’s not an easy task to
be an interviewee responding to different and difficult questions, but
preparation is the key. You should anticipate the common questions which you
will be asked such as your personal and educational background, your interest,
reasons you apply for this scholarship, your future goal, so on and so forth. I
want to emphasize that the interviewing round is the chance you are able to
showcase yourself to the interviewers. Generally, after reading your
application form, interviewers want to know more from you before selecting you
as a scholarship awardee. Take this chance to show them what you’ve got, be
yourself, show them your personality, your leadership, your clear future goals,
and your strong commitment.
What do most students lack when
applying for this scholarship?
I cannot really say in general what
qualification most students lack since it varies from one to another. However,
from what I noticed, English proficiency is more likely to be an obstacle. In
addition to the specialty of your majoring subjects, you should also nurture
your English skill to be competent in this scholarship. More importantly, the
co-curricular activities such as community service and volunteering activities
are crucial elements which can increase your chance to be selected especially
in the interview session.
What are your suggestions to the next
generation wanting to apply for Singaporean Government Scholarship?
I strongly encourage my fellow
Cambodian students to apply for this scholarship. Studying abroad is a
wonderful experience you should have in your life. You will learn a lot during
this time. To be selected as an awardee, you should give yourself enough time
and work hard. It’s like the quote from Terry Josephon: “The more you prepare,
the luckier you appear”. Most importantly, you have to be self-confident. Do
not let your past experience to undermine your self-esteem. Finally, I wish you
all a very good luck to fight for your academic goal, and don’t be hesitant to
inbox me via my facebook https://www.facebook.com/limvuthy in case you
need more information, and I am happy to answer. “You
don’t know what you’re capable of until you try and devote yourself to the
work,” said Lim Vuthy.
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